Gurugram: Two Fortis doctors arrested for ‘negligence’, get bail

Two doctors of Fortis hospital in Gurugram were arrested on Friday, based on findings of the district medical board that found them responsible for delay in administering proper treatment to a 51-year-old woman, who died of cardiac arrest at the private hospital last year.Chetna Choudhry | TNN | April 14, 2018, 06:24 IST

Highlights

District medical board found them responsible for delay in administering proper treatment to a 51-year-old woman, who died of cardiac arrest at the hospital last year.,

GURUGRAM: Two doctors of Fortis hospital in Gurugram were arrested on Friday, based on findings of the district medical board that found them responsible for delay in administering proper treatment to a 51-year-old woman, who died of cardiac arrest at the private hospital last year.

Chief cardiologist Dr SS Murthy and emergency medical officer Dr V Naga Raju were detained on Thursday night for questioning and arrested on Friday morning under Section 304 (causing death by negligence) of the IPC. Later in the day, a local court that granted them bail on personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each.

Last year, an FIR had been filed against another Fortis doctor after the medical board indicted the hospital for overbilling and negligence in the treatment of a seven-year-old child, Adya Singh, who succumbed to dengue.

Dr Murthy and Dr Raju were booked in a case that was lodged at Sushant Lok police station on February 20 after the medical board submitted its report. “The arrests have been made on the basis of the probe concluded by the civil surgeon. An extensive investigation was done by an SIT (special investigation team) before arresting the doctors. It is a bailable offence and, therefore, the court granted them bail,” said ACP Anil Yadav, who is heading the SIT.

A Fortis spokesperson said, “The matter is sub-judice. We are providing complete support to the authorities concerned.”

In its report, the medical board had said Dr Murthy and Dr Raju did not administer anti-platelet treatment as per protocol to the patient, Seema Ghai. Seema, a resident of Ardee City, was admitted on May 12, 2017, after she complained of chest pain.

As TOI reported on March 30, the medical board had initiated the probe after Seema’s husband Mukesh accused the doctors at the hospital of negligence resulting in her death.

According to the board’s report, Seema, a physiotherapist by profession, was rushed to the Sector 44-based hospital around 1.35am on May 12. Her husband Mukesh claimed she was in full senses when they reached the hospital. An ECG was performed on her at 1.45am.

The medical board report stated the doctors should have ideally given her an anti-platelet medicine for blood thinning immediately. The patient’s cardiac enzyme was sent for test around 2.23am, and its report too prescribed medicines to prevent a heart attack. Around 4.20am, Seema was shifted to ICU, where she suffered a cardiac arrest 10 minutes later.

Around 5am, the doctors informed her husband that her condition was very critical and she needed to be put on life support. Finally, an angiography was performed around 7am which revealed 100 per cent blockage in her left anterior descending artery. She was declared dead at 9.48am.

According to the report, Dr Raju “admitted” in front of the board that he did not administer anti-platelets. Dr Murthy, on the other hand, claimed he had asked Dr Devendra, the resident cardiologist, to provide “all necessary treatment” to the patient around 2.15am. However, hospital records revealed “proper treatment” was not given, stated the board’s report, which termed this “gross negligence” that proved fatal for the patient.

“They delayed the procedure because they wanted to inflate the bills. I have also filed a complaint with the state medical association,” said Mukesh, who works as an additional general manager (IT) at RITES Limited.

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